142 SEA FOWL IN NOVA SCOTIA — GILPIN. 



ly able to fly. At the same time others are nesting along the- 

 rush-fringed sides of our inland lakes, and the young are pro- 

 tected by their mother seeking their food in the shallow rapids. 

 In 1854, I found them nesting on the low banks of the salt lake 

 or lagoon which makes the centre of Sable Island, some eighty 

 miles seaward from the Province. The nests were very inartifi- 

 cial, more like the circular folding or twisting of the long grass 

 by the duck's body and legs with a few scattered feathers. The 

 eggs were a light bluish green and about ten in number. Whilst 

 in June I saw the mother duck leading her young flock on the 

 lake, I have seen others sitting patiently during the last of July 

 on, perhaps, a second or third robbed nest. If undisturbed they 

 would doubtless remain on these salt marshes till the ice drove 

 them out. Disturbed by sportsmen, they seek the lakes. In 

 September they are found feeding upon the blueberries covering- 

 our barrens, and as winter advances, and the frost drives them, 

 they return to the salt marshes, and at last, in deep winter, to 

 the ba} 7 s of the ocean; thus returning to marine molluscs that 

 furnished their first food. In deep winter he is found nestling 

 beneath the snow, waiting for the ebb tide to bare the rocks 

 from which, being no diver, he collects his scanty supplies of frozen 

 molluscs. On Sable Island he remains as long as the salt lake 

 keeps open from the ice, but returns in the early Spring. This 

 duck may be called both resident and abundant in the Province. 

 Although often and long ago described, yet I cannot forbear 

 describing again a male in full plumage shot at Digby, N. S., 9th 

 February, 1880 :— 



' In colour, top of head obscure line running down back of neck ; shoulders, 

 upper back axillaries and wing coverts blackish, but as almost every feather 

 had its edges brown, the general appearance was brownish. On the top of the 

 head the brown appears in lines, on shoulders and other parts as scales, the 

 lower back and rump black, the tail sooty black, but each feather emarginated. 

 The primaries sooty black, the secondaries having a speculum of blue with 

 purple reflections, bordered above with velvet black and edged with greyish 

 white ; the tertiaries having the outside edges velvet black. Beneath the colour 

 and shading of feathers like the upper parts, but lighter. Edge of shoulder 

 spotted black and brown. The upper part of inside wing pure white, but 

 shading off to bluish ash, darker towards the extremities ; beneath tail, dark 

 ash. Returning to the head, there is an obscure line passing from behind eye 



